This article focuses on the training of corporate executives. Many a talented training professional has made the leap from running the learning function to helping steer the organization as part of an executive team. But many more have not made the transition successfully, even when they were sure they were ready. David Dotlich, author of the book "Leadership Passages: The Personal and Professional Transitions That Make or Break a Leader," estimates that 20 to 30 percent of chief learning officers are kicked off of the executive team or fired from the company, and that nearly 50 percent waste their time at the power table by failing to make a real contribution to the business. To learn the business when she moved into an executive role at the firm American Express, Jeanette Harrison secured a finance coach to help her understand how the company makes money. Together they covered cost and revenue generators and what elements drive both of those. She says that it was key to her understanding the business. She adds that it not only helped her know how to position my requests for support but also to understand the challenges facing the business.